A/N: ENJOY THE NEW UPDATE!

Goosebumps rose on Harry's exposed skin as he stepped out of the warmth provided by the shower and into the cold bathroom. Water droplets rolled down his skin as he grabbed the spare towel from the rack next to the mirror and vanity. A light layer of condensation covered the mirror as he started to dry himself with the soft fabric. The only sounds that could be heard were from him and the water droplets that continued to drip in the shower as they rolled down the drain.

Golden rays from the sunrise streamed in through the window to illuminate the dimly lit bathroom. A soft sigh left Harry's lips as he finished drying his body and wrapped the towel around his waist. He had woken up extra early that morning and decided to shower while the majority of the household were still asleep. He intended to make a house call back to his home to find out if Drew had made it back safely. Otherwise he'd have to head over there and do some research to track the man down before he started the rest of his day.

Damp strands of his messy jet-black hair stuck to his forehead as he reached forward and grabbed his wand, still in its holster, from where it sat on the vanity beside the sink. He attached it to his inner right forearm and nonverbally strapped it in place. Next to the sink was also his Blackhawk Tatang knife, safely in its sheath, which sat on top of the pile of clothes he had stripped out of before the shower. He never went anyway without a weapon nearby, not even in the shower. Leaving them on the benchtop gave him easy access in the rare case he was ambushed. It was, after all, better to be prepared rather than caught off guard.

The air in the bathroom had cooled considerably as the warmth from the shower had evaporated. The mirror had cleared enough to the point that Harry could see his reflection in it. His bright, green eyes stared back at him as he stretched his neck from left to right. He ran a hand through his damp hair to move some of the strands out of his eyes. He didn't bother attempting to style it as he knew it had a mind of its own. He gathered up the pile of dirty clothes, plus his trusted knife, into the crook of his left arm and walked over to the door.

As Harry walked out of the bathroom, he could hear the sound of heavy footsteps that descended the stairs to his right. He silently berated himself for not taking clean clothes into the bathroom with him prior to the shower. He had assumed that none of the other members of the household would be awake and that the coast would have been clear for him to make the trip back to his room without being seen. But that's what a fool gets for assuming, even if it was early in the morning. His right hand instinctively flew to tightly grip onto the towel to ensure that it didn't fall now that he was no longer alone.

"You're up early," Bill said just as Harry closed the bathroom door behind him with his left hand.

"So are you," Harry said in return as he turned his head towards the older boy who had stopped in the middle of the two stairs.

"I couldn't sleep. What's your excuse?" he said with a casual shrug of his shoulders.

"Wanted to be alert and fresh for the day ahead," Harry replied, his green eyes stared intently into the brown eyes opposite him.

"You have your first lesson with Snape today, right?" asked Bill with a frown.

"Correct," he nodded briefly, face impassive as ever.

"Good luck," he huffed a small breath of amusement. "Snape's a cranky old bastard on the best of days. You better have the patience of a saint if you are having one-on-one lessons with him."

"Thanks for the luck. But I don't think I need it," Harry shrugged casually. "From the few interactions I've had with him so far, I think I'll be fine. He appears to be a man that doesn't tolerate time wasting. A sentiment I hope I share with him."

Harry watched as Bill nodded his head in understanding before a small silence befell the pair. He frowned ever so slightly as he saw that Bill's eyes started to roam. He became acutely aware that his torso was nude and on full display for the other. While he didn't feel an ounce of self-consciousness, he definitely felt uncomfortable. His body had nothing to be ashamed of. After all, he had well defined muscles - a result of the many hours of exhausting, physical training - that could make anyone appreciate the evident amount of effort he had put in.

A light blush bloomed upon Harry's cheeks that quickly spread down his neck. In the pit of his stomach, he felt an uncomfortable sensation form that quickly bubbled into a noticeably fierce fire. The uncomfortableness came from the situation he had found himself in being utterly foreign. Never before had someone - let alone a stranger - blatantly checked out his physical appearance. He could feel his heart race as his body froze in wariness. He simply didn't know how to react in a situation like that.

"You always have that knife with you, huh?" Bill broke the silence first as he spotted the knife in amongst the pile of clothes. He looked back up and gave Harry a small smile. "Well I should let you keep getting ready. I'll see you later downstairs."

"Yeah," said Harry calmly with a small nod, his voice luckily didn't betray how unnerved he truly was.

The pair walked their separate ways, with Bill headed downstairs to the kitchen and Harry headed to his bedroom. He let out a sigh of relief as he closed the door behind him and immediately erected the charms that warded his room. As he sunk down onto the mattress, he forced himself to calm his racing heart by taking a couple of deep breaths. The interaction with the eldest Weasley child had left him completely shaken.

After a few moments of silence, Harry discarded the items in his grasp to the side and pulled his wand from his holster. He pointed the tip of his wand towards himself and waved it from his head down to his toes as he nonverbally dried his body. No longer dripping wet, Harry stood up and walked over to the desk. He slid his wand back into its place before he opened up the drawstrings of the Mokeskin pouch.

It didn't take long before Harry held a fresh change of clothes in his hand. He unwrapped the towel from his waist and hung it over the back of the chair. As he was in the middle of putting on his long, black pants, his attention was drawn to the dresser on the other side of the room by a rather loud hoot. His green eyes crinkled in amusement as his familiar made her annoyance at the delay known.

"Morning to you too," chuckled Harry as he walked over and reached for the cage door with his right arm. "Ready to go out, are you?"

The second Harry had unlocked the cage door and opened it, Hedwig had stepped out onto his arm. Harry didn't wince as the sharp talons gripped at the exposed skin beneath the wand holster. He smiled down at the beautiful creature and lifted his left hand to rub his fingers through the soft, white feathers on top of her head. His familiar gave him a small hoot, a less annoyed one, as he carefully walked back across the room. He smiled as he noticed that her amber eyes were locked onto one thing and one thing only; the window to freedom.

"If you had been awake before I went to the shower then I would have let you out sooner," he informed the owl with amusement.

As Harry spoke, he opened the window with his free hand and raised his arm for his familiar. Neither made a move as the large owl swiveled its head back towards her owner. Their morning routine, ever since Harry had brought her home, consisted of her being free to fly around outside and returning whenever she pleased. Usually Harry would let her out of the cage the second he woke up. But since he had woken up earlier, he had let her sleep in for an extra few minutes.

"You know you can always go down to the kitchen before I get back," he said with a fond smile as he gave her feathers one last stroke. "I'll see you later tonight. Be safe Hedwig."

A soft hoot of understanding was his reply before Hedwig stretched her wings and projected herself to freedom. Harry stood in his bedroom as he fondly watched his owl fly off into the distance. Part of him wished that he could accompany her, free to do anything he liked without the fate of the world weighing him down. He would like to hope that perhaps one day he could join her. But for now he needed to stay focused on his mission.

As he closed the window, his eyes were drawn to the mirror that sat upon his desk. Harry couldn't help but to start to worry about Drew again. He hadn't heard anything for the past two days. The other was supposedly meant to be back by the morning. He had specifically left the mirror out overnight in the possible chance that he had arrived home earlier than expected. But he hadn't heard a word about the whereabouts of his boss and father figure.

The sole reason Harry had woken up earlier than normal was to allow time if he hadn't heard back from Drew and needed to go back home to quickly retrieve the information on the job assigned to him. He already had a plan in place in case he needed to enact on it. He would fly himself to the outskirts of the boundary line before he would apparate himself home. He'd be back before anyone had realised he had left.

"Anyone there?" Harry called out awkwardly, the frame empty and no noise came through it. He waited a few seconds and still no response. He sighed as he sunk into the chair and flicked his wand down into his palm. "You leave me no choice."

Harry closed his eyes to double check the wards around his room were strongly in place. In preparation for what he was about to do, he also nonverbally erected the Imperturbable Charm on top of the other wards. He knew the sound that was about to come from his wand would likely wake up the rest of the household. Unless, of course, he took all of the possible measurements to contain the sound prior to his plan. The charm would help to muffle the loud sound along with the wards that were already present.

Since there was nothing that held him back any longer, Harry lifted his wand and pointed its tip at the mirror. He left his eyes closed as he scrunched his face and turned his head away in anticipation for what was about to occur. A second later, a loud horn blared throughout the room. The noise had been so loud that the door to the owl cage rattled from the sheer force. Thankfully he had the forethought to put the extra charm up. Because there was no doubt in Harry's mind that if the horn had been strong enough, the rest of the household would have been rudely awoken by the powerful sound.

"What the actual hell!" distantly shouted a voice through the mirror, Harry's cue that his trick had indeed worked and he could turn off the annoying sound.

"It's coming from the mirror," said another, more recognisable voice.

"You're home," stated Harry as relief flooded his body when he saw Drew's irritated face enter the frame.

"What the fuck was that for," Drew grumbled as he lowered his arm that held his wand in anticipation for dealing with trouble. "Could you not have contacted us in a less disruptive way?"

"Already tried that," Harry shrugged as a mischievous smile lit his face. "No one answered so I didn't have much of a choice."

"You know that you had plenty of other options," said Drew with a glare.

"Yeah, way to wake us up," Parker chimed in with annoyance as he stepped into the frame alongside Drew. "Bloody thought we were under some sort of strange attack for a second. Seriously what the fuck Harry."

"I would apologise for my actions... But I know there's not a thing either one of you can do to me if I don't," cheekily said Harry as he absentmindedly replaced his wand into its holster.

"Just you wait until I get my hands on you next time, Potter," said Parker as he threateningly pointed his finger towards him.

"I look forward to it, Basely," Harry said with a wide smile and laughed as Parker grumpily stormed out of the frame. He calmed himself down after a few seconds and turned his attention to Drew. "When did you get back?"

"About half an hour ago actually," Drew replied with a tired sigh.

"And how did it go?" he asked instantly.

"It went absolutely fine. The warding on the location worked in my favour, barely a single charm to protect them. But it took me a little longer than I wanted to complete. Mainly because the bastards were numbered up in small groups. So I had to camp out and find the right opportunity to strike them down one-by-one," he explained tiredly.

"You look exhausted," commented Harry.

"I had just finished some food and was just on my way upstairs when Parker stopped me to discuss something. The next thing we knew, you decided to pull that little stunt," he said with a small puff of amusement.

"You're welcome. I was just making sure you guys were practising constant vigilance," he said with a proud smile, a twinkle in his eyes gave away how thrilled he was at his accomplishment.

"We both know that you're just finding any reason to excuse what you did," Drew said as he rolled his eyes. "Can I go now? I have a bed that is calling my name."

"Sure. I'll let the mighty Drew McIntyre go and get his beauty rest," Harry cheekily said.

"You're lucky I miss you, you little mutt," said Drew as he shook his head with a smile on his face.

"I miss you too," genuinely smiled Harry. "Glad to see you're back safe."

"I know you were worried for me. But when has anything ever happened to me? And hey, would you please put on a shirt before you leave for the day," Drew cheekily added as he sent a smile towards the younger.

"I was thinking of going commando style today actually," chuckled Harry as he looked down at his bare chest. "See you Sunday?"

"Yeah, see you Sunday," confirmed Drew with a nod before he disappeared from view.

A few seconds passed as Harry sat quietly and reflected upon the conversation. He was extremely relieved that Drew had returned safely after a successful mission. However, his heart sank at the longing he felt for Drew and all of the others back home. He would trade almost anything to be able to spend time with them again. It had only been a week and he already missed them all so dearly. He smiled sadly to himself as he grabbed the shirt from beside the mirror, stood up from the desk, and continued to prepare himself for the day ahead.

>_<     >_<     >_<

Although Dumbledore quietly strolled through the empty hallways of Hogwarts by himself, he never truly was alone. He had to keep his impassive mask in place as he hurried to his destination. It wouldn't be good for him if one of the nosey portraits spread rumours that they had seen a seething Headmaster pacing around the halls. He needed everyone to believe he was cool, calm, and collected. Even if he felt the exact opposite on the inside.

The reason he was in a rush was that he hoped to catch Severus Snape before he left the Great Hall and retreated into his dungeons for the day. He really needed to speak with him prior to Harry's arrival in an attempt to get the Potions Master on board with his plan. Out of anyone in the Order, he believed Severus would be the best option to investigate Harry's elusive past. After all, the man was on both sides of the war, and knew how to get hard to come by information.

Luck appeared to be on his side for a change. The Headmaster opened up the doors to the Great Hall only to find Severus had just left the small circular table in the middle of the room and was headed his way. He instantly smiled his charming smile and forced his eyes to crinkle in fake happiness. After he had waved a greeting to the other three members of staff at the table, he silently motioned for the other man to join him out in the hallway. Only once he had ensured that the doors were closed behind them did he begin to talk.

"My dear boy, I was hoping I could catch you before you slipped away for the day," he said in a forced cheerful tone.

"What is it that you need, Headmaster?" replied Severus with his ever present blank face.

"Your first lessons with Harry are today," said Dumbledore without elaborating any further as the pair came to a stop in the middle of the corridor outside of the Great Hall.

"They are," he nodded without his facial features changing to give away how he felt in that moment.

"I know you did not have the greatest rapport with James, Severus. Are you going to be able to put aside the differences between Harry and his father?" he asked as he placed his hand on Severus's shoulder.

"You are worried that I am going to let a few decades old grudge come between a student and my ability to teach?" he snarled with a fierce glare as he shrugged the hand off of him.

"Well of course I have the right to be concerned about it," he gently pushed. "After all, I do know how deeply that affected you and what the decisions it led you to do in life."

"Did you simply stop me this morning to question my motives and loyalties? Or was there something more pressing you needed, Headmaster?" quietly said Severus, only slightly affected by the conversation - not that he would let it show. "Because otherwise if there isn't anything you wanted to discuss, I have last minute preparations to do."

"Actually there was something I wanted to talk with you about," Dumbledore said as he stood a little taller, the atmosphere between the pair tensed even more. "It's about Harry, himself, actually."

"What about Potter, Headmaster?" questioned Severus with controlled anger as the old coot didn't elaborate again. He swore dealing with the Headmaster would eventually cause him to lose his sanity.

"During these lessons with Harry, I would really appreciate it if you could delve a little deeper with him. Make a connection with the boy and see if he will open up to you about his past. He is, after all, just as much as Lily's son," he sadly explained his plan with a motivating point that he knew would bring up a certain reaction.

"I am not here to be a spy on the boy," angrily hissed Severus as his dark eyes glared into icy blue eyes. "I am here to educate him. That is all that I will be doing. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Come now, Severus. The boy deserves to have someone he trusts around. And I think you would be able to connect with the boy considering your past too," pushed Dumbledore, knowingly hitting all of the younger's sore points.

"Then get Lupin to be your little spy. I am not wasting my personal time to grow a connection between myself and a child I do not care for," he snapped with fury, beyond disappointed at the pitiful attempts to manipulate him.

"I know that deep down you must care for Harry," said Dumbledore in a soothing tone. "Why else would you volunteer your time to help him? You know that Lily would want this."

"Mention her name one more time and I will cancel any future lessons with the boy. I'm not doing it for her. I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it to give the boy a fighting chance in a battle he never asked for," quietly seethed Severus, all worked up.

"Are we interrupting something?" a voice called out which startled the pair from their quiet, yet heated, discussion.

>_<     >_<    >_<

An irritated sigh left Harry's lips as he walked out of the Burrow and instantly heard the roar of commotion from the small crowd. He followed behind Remus, with Hermione close beside him, as they were led towards a point in the boundary lines far away from the onlooking crowd. In his mind, he cursed out Ron and his stupid loudmouth for the situation at hand. If only the blimmin idiot hadn't blurted out his name so loudly in the store, then perhaps none of the wizarding world would know of his presence.

Harry could not wait for the upcoming trip to Azkaban. He hoped that he could convince his Godfather to grant them all access to Grimmauld Place so they could get out of the Burrow and into a secluded, safe accommodation. Not that he particularly wanted Ron and some of his siblings to join him, but he knew that Dumbledore would insist they moved with him. The old coot would probably spread his 'it's in your best interest' bullshit.

"Ready?" asked Remus as they quickly approached the edge.

"Ready," answered Hermione on Harry's behalf.

Within a blink of an eye, the trio had disappeared from the grounds of the Burrow and reappeared before the mighty Main Entrance Gates. Remus checked over his shoulder as he released their biceps from his grip. The last two days, he had been instructed to stay alert in case anyone decided to stake out the entrance of Hogwarts for any signs of Harry. The last thing they needed was for a rogue person to catch them off guard and attack them.

"Are you nervous for today?" Hermione asked as the trio began their long journey up to the castle.

"No," simply replied Harry as he averted his gaze to the side.

On the Tuesday morning, Hermione had persistently insisted on joining Remus and Harry during their study sessions at Hogwarts. It took everything in him not to tell the girl to fuck off. All Harry could imagine during her rather childish whining was Drew standing behind her, an imposing glare on his face, as a reminder to play nice. In the end Remus had allowed her to join them - much to his dismay. But in hindsight, she had proved herself to be somewhat of an asset to their study sessions.

It turned out that while Remus was a brilliant teacher, he lacked in the area of the Study of Ancient Runes. The elder man had struggled with even the basics of the subject, it not being one of the classes he had taken during his time at Hogwarts. The irritating girl had been content to quietly sit beside them and read through an obnoxiously high stack of books. Yet the moment she heard Remus struggling to make sense of the Study of Ancient Runes textbook, she had stepped in and taken over that subject.

While Harry didn't think she had the qualities within her to be a natural teacher, she definitely knew her subjects. Hermione's vast knowledge on the difficult class had, for the first time, seemed to come in handy for her. She proudly showed off her in-depth knowledge and showed him the ropes. It took the first half of the allocated time to get her to slow down and actually explain the information properly. She had gone off on rants about certain aspects of the subject on more than one occasion.

"I'm sure Ron has told you all about Professor Snape. But don't listen to him. He hates the Professor the most. Actually most of the students do," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "Professor Snape can be hard to handle at times, with that I agree. But he knows what he is doing and I'm sure if anyone can get you up to speed with Potions, it's him."

"Yeah," sighed Harry, already annoyed with the bushy haired girl.

"Did you know he is one of the youngest people to get a Master's in Potions?" asked Hermione.

"No," he easily lied. Because of course he knew that with all the research he had done on everyone.

"Did you know him very well Remus?" the annoying girl thankfully turned her attention to the older male.

"Snape and I?" Remus asked as he turned his green eyes her way.

"Yeah, I think I heard that you two were in the same year level during Hogwarts. Did you know each other before joining the Order?" she asked him.

"Not really," sheepishly said Remus as he looked up at the castle before them. A distant look overtook his eyes and it was clear that he was reliving a few memories from the past. "Snape and I never got along during school. Your father, Harry, and Snape didn't get along either. Neither did Sirius or Peter for that matter."

"Oh," simply said Hermione and Harry thought that was going to be the end of it until they got up to the castle. But no. Oh no how wrong he was to assume that. "So Harry, what's been your favourite subject so far?"

It took everything in Harry not to curse the girl out or even use a few spells on her. She was utterly insufferable. At that point in time, he honestly didn't know who was worse; Ron or Hermione. Both had individual reasons as to why they pissed him off. The lanky redhead for his non-stop loud mouth and lack of personal space. The bushy haired know-it-all with a million questions constantly on the tip of her tongue. He couldn't imagine spending his entire schooling life with that pair. He would have gone absolutely insane.

Nevertheless, Harry bit his lip, took a deep breath, and calmed his rising irritation. The only reason was the many stern words Drew had given him previously when he had slipped in his attitude. He could not afford to fuck any of this up. He needed to think of this entire situation as one giant mission. He needed to act nice and collect as much information as he could; as if he was infiltrating one of his target's ranks. Harry could do that, if he continued to think along those lines, and remembered Drew in weak moments like the present.

"I've enjoyed Charms and Defence Against The Dark Arts the most so far," he answered after a small pause, thankfully to the other two it appeared as if he had only paused to contemplate the question.

"Everyone likes DADA," scoffed Hermione as if that personally offended her. "They all think it's an easy and fun subject. So they give that class the most attention and push the rest to the side. But I'm glad you've been enjoying Charms too. It's such an interesting subject. I can't wait until you've caught up and we can study together."

"Yeah," Harry sighed as he looked up to the ever looming castle and thanked whatever higher power was out there that their long walk was almost over.

"You better not fall into any of Ron's horrible habits. Getting him to study is like trying to pull teeth. It drives me absolutely insane. I don't know what any of those four boys get up to in their free time, honestly. Neville is probably the only one I don't worry about though. So please don't be influenced by those boys or I will drag you down from that dorm room by the ear just like the others," she sternly warned with a fierce fire in her eyes.

"Right," he nodded and shot her a charming smile. Internally, he rolled his eyes at the way she just assumed he would be placed in the Gryffindor house. She was just like the rest of the Weasley's and the others.

"But from what I've seen, you haven't given me much to worry about," she said, almost to herself, as she smiled kindly at him. "You seem to have the right attitude when it comes to learning."

"Yeah. Just want to be caught up, you know?" he said and almost shouted in relief as he saw the steps were only a short thirty seconds away. "I'm sure I'll see you both in the Great Hall for lunch?"

"We'll be waiting I'm sure," replied Remus. "Hermione promised me she would take me around to a few of the old classroom's today to kill some time."

"Ah I see," he nodded as they ascended the stairs, and thankfully, finally opened the doors.

The moment the trio entered, they were met with the almost comical sight of Dumbledore's brightly coloured robes right next to the pitch black robes of Severus Snape. Said pair seemed to be in the middle of what appeared to be a heated discussion. Their voices carried over to them, yet their words were not quite discernible. It was evident that the nature of the conversation caused tension between them, their stand-offish body language the most telltale sign.

"Are we interrupting something?" Harry called out which startled the pair from their quiet, yet heated, discussion.

"No, Harry. Of course not," politely replied Dumbledore. "You're here early."

Harry raised an eyebrow at the obviously fake reply. He could tell that they very much were interrupting the pair. On what matter, he did not know the answer. And perhaps he never will know. But he had a gut instinct that the conversation had to do with him, if Dumbledore's slight twitch to his left eye was any indicator. He tilted his head to the left slightly as his eyes scanned over the two males opposite him. Severus seemed to avoid eye contact with him. Interesting.

"Are you ready for the lesson now, Professor Snape? Or do you still need time to set up? I apologise for being a bit early," Harry decided to say instead.

"I need to continue setting up. But you may come down with me now, Potter," said Severus as he took several steps towards the direction of the dungeons. His robe swayed behind him as if there were an invisible draft around him.

"Consider what I said, Severus," called out Dumbledore to Severus's retreating back.

"Thank you for bringing us here, Remus," Harry made sure to thank the older male in front of Dumbledore with a polite tone. "I'll see you at lunch."

"No problem," smiled Remus as the trio separated.

"Oh and Harry?" Dumbledore said as he stopped Harry with a hand to his shoulder.

"Yes Headmaster?" he asked with a blank face.

"Do forgive Severus if he is in a certain mood this morning. I believe I may have brought up some unwanted tension. I apologise if he takes it out on you, but trust me it is entirely my fault and not meant for you," he said with a sad tone in his voice.

"I will forgive him. I understand what it is like to have unwanted issues brought up," he simply responded before he hurried to follow the disappearing Potions Master.

Harry couldn't help the smug smirk that took over his face as he left the presence of the Headmaster. He knew that both Remus and Hermione had been just close enough to hear every word spoken between them. Oh how he wished he could turn around and see the look upon Dumbledore's face. Or Hermione's for that matter. He knew how much that girl worshiped the earth beneath the Headmaster's feet.

In a tense silence, not that Harry cared, Severus led the way down the staircases that took them towards the Potions classroom. Harry used the time it took them to mentally prepare himself for the day ahead. He would be spending the following four hours with the Potions Master, but he knew it would be an exhausting task to keep all of his comments in check. The last thing he wanted was to face an angry Drew if he accidentally revealed anything. That prospect seemed more scarier than an angry Dumbledore, Severus, and Voldemort combined.

Finally the pair reached the door to the classroom. Severus entered without a word and headed to the front. Harry followed behind, but turned to close the door behind them. Slowly, he walked through the dark room, his eyes scanned every inch out of habit. He then took in his surroundings in more detail after he completed his usual surveillance sweep. The classroom was nothing like he had seen before. Back home, they only had a small space dedicated for any potions making.

The Potions classroom at Hogwarts was large enough to easily fit twenty students at the desks. Along the walls were jars of all sizes that contained many disgusting pickled animal parts. To one far corner was a basin with a stone gargoyle above it. Harry assumed water would come out of the statue. In another corner was what appeared to be a cupboard full of potion ingredients of all kinds. He was sure he could find common as well as rare items in there. And next to Severus's desk was a large blackboard with smudged, white chalk marks on it.

"Sit," Severus commanded as he gestured with his hand to the front desk to Harry's far right.

Without a word, Harry followed the instruction. He walked to the desk and sat on the stool as he looked at the many items in front of him. There was a book, a quill, a cauldron, a few clean instruments to use on top of a black cloth, and a ladle. He carefully eyed everything around him. While he had made a number of potions in his lifetime, he usually allowed the others back home to do them. The ones that didn't have jobs like his. The ones that handled the mundane tasks, kept watch on the base, and protected the younger ones when everyone was gone. He was genuinely excited to learn from one of the best.

"Since you thought yourself too important to attend school, Mr. Potter. I will begin where I always do with my first years," snarled Severus as he eventually stepped around his desk to stand in front of Harry. "There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class. It requires the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. We will come to find out if you have the predisposition to it."

Harry nodded his head attentively as he listened to each word the professor said despite the snarky comment he began with. He imagined this speech would always capture the attention of scared first years as the intimidating man stalked the isle. While he could never imagine himself scared of the other male now, his presence on an eleven year old Harry would have definitely intimidated him. He easily understood why Severus was commonly the most hated professor in all of Hogwarts. His demeanour demanded attention and power.

"I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death," Severus continued in his deep tone as his eyes scanned Harry's unchangeable facial features. "Tell me what you know about potions, Mr. Potter."

"I understand that every ingredient has a purpose in a potion. Whether to cause or counter an effect," he stated in a neutral tone, not wanting to appear confident nor afraid. "How one ingredient is prepared can also alter the cause of the potion. So it is important to pay attention while preparing it."

"Maybe there is hope after all," sarcastically commented Severus as he walked over to the blackboard and waved his wand over the bare board. Chalky, white words appeared one line after another. "I would rather you not waste my time. If you know an answer, tell me. If you do not, tell me. I'd rather not be here for an entire month, or worse, longer when you already know information."

"I understand Professor. Professor McGonagall told me the same thing. I do have a bit of knowledge in Potions already. I was able to read a few books on the subject. However it is not extensive. But I promise not to waste either of our time," truthfully replied Harry.

"Good. Now tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" he asked as he pointed to the top question on the board with his wand.

"Asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death," he answered easily, not overlooking the hidden message behind the question.

It was Severus's clever way to convey his regret and mourning over his mother's death. According to the Victorian Language of Flowers, asphodel is a type of lily meaning 'my regrets follow you to the grave' and wormwood means 'absence' and symbolizes bitter sorrow. The entire question has a hidden meaning of 'I bitterly regret Lily's death'. Harry wished he could tell the man that he understood and didn't hold anything against him. Yet he knew he couldn't do that - at least not anytime soon.

"Where, Mr. Potter, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?" Severus continued to ask as his wand tip moved down to the second line.

"A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons," Harry answered easily, yet again, and supplied a bit of extra information. His prior knowledge came in useful.

"And what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" impassively asked Severus, the final question on the board.

"There is no difference. Monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite," he answered.

"I don't know where you have been, Mr. Potter. But you better thank your lucky stars that you don't seem as incompetent as your father," he snarled as he waved the previous words away to replace them with a simple recipe of the first potion they were to brew.

The room was silent as Harry processed his words. A small frown settled upon his face as he thought it over. The comment had come out of nowhere. This interaction had been completely different to those in the past. Perhaps whatever the conversation had been between Severus and Dumbledore had involved his parents, and that was why the other male had brought up his father. It appeared to be the only explanation he could think of. He had to say something, he'd rather not spend the rest of the remaining month being compared to two people he didn't know.

"Professor Snape. While I respect you, I must ask you to not compare me to my parents. I knew neither of them even if I am their child. Otherwise, these lessons will be very hard if I come to detest you," Harry said in a respectful yet assertive manner. "After what I showed you, I shouldn't have to remind you where I grew up for the first few years of my childhood. You should know that I am nothing like my father."

That seemed to do the trick as Severus stared at the empty space behind Harry's left shoulder for a few moments before he swiftly turned on his heel and began to explain the potion on the board. Harry couldn't help the small smile on his face as he listened to the man speak with a strict, rehearsed, almost automatic tone. He understood Severus probably more than any of the other students in the school. From all the information he had read, he could relate to the man's history more than most.

As Harry carefully prepared the first potion of what would be many under watchful eyes, he couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity. It was only an hour into the quiet process that he realised Severus's presence reminded him somewhat of Drew. There was an imposing air of quiet power that both men radiated. The sharpness from the watching eyes almost made him second guess every action he made. It was something only his mentor had ever made him feel. Perhaps he could easily survive these lessons with the infamous Potions Master of Hogwarts.